Philip Llewellin
Encyclopedia
Phil Llewellin was a British journalist and writer. Born in Oswestry
, Shropshire
, he was educated at Oswestry School
and Wycliffe College
, Gloucestershire
.
After a brief career in insurance, he started in journalism on the Oswestry and Border Counties Advertizer , and later moved to the Shrewsbury Chronicle
.
In 1969 he became a freelance writer and one of his first commissions was an article on the musician and actor Tommy Steele
for The Observer
magazine. His work was eclectic and in the 1970s he contributed to a series of travel guidebooks which built upon his wide-ranging knowledge of the UK and made good use of his love of Wales.
But in time his work focussed increasingly on his passion for cars and motoring. From the late 1960s until his death he worked for a large number of publications in the UK and abroad, including The Observer, Car Magazine
, the Daily Telegraph, Truck magazine, The Independent
, Car & Driver, and Automobile Magazine
.
Although, superficially, most of his writing was about cars it often also touched on aspects of military history, travel and engineering (he was an admirer of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
and Thomas Telford
). His writing was also noted for its humour.
A collection of his writing, The Road to Muckle Flugga, was published in 2004. In his foreword, Jeremy Clarkson
, the journalist and presenter of BBC Television's Top Gear, wrote "Phil realized that cars were dull. It was what you did with them that mattered."
He was a long-standing member of the Guild of Motoring Writers which has set up an annual Student of the Year award in his memory. Phil was also a member of the Midland Group of Motoring Writers, which has established an annual award in his memory. It asks young writers, aged between 10 and 16, to imagine a journey and the car they would make it in. The prize is £1,000 worth of travel vouchers, a visit to the Aston Martin factory at Gaydon (and passenger ride in one of the cars) and a week's loan of a new Audi to the winner's parents.
He died of a heart attack in 2005 whilst on holiday in Croatia. In a reader's obituary published in The Guardian
, Frank Page, the journalist, described Phil Llewellin as "one of the best motoring writers, if not the best, of the past four decades."
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, he was educated at Oswestry School
Oswestry School
Oswestry School is a co-educational independent school, located in the town of Oswestry, Shropshire, England. Founded in 1407 by David Holbache and his wife Guinevere Holbache, it is the second oldest non-denominational school in England....
and Wycliffe College
Wycliffe College
Wycliffe College is an Anglican Church of Canada seminary federated with the University of Toronto. It is evangelical and Low church in orientation. On the other hand, the University of Toronto's other Anglican college, the University of Trinity College is Anglo-Catholic in outlook. While being an...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
.
After a brief career in insurance, he started in journalism on the Oswestry and Border Counties Advertizer , and later moved to the Shrewsbury Chronicle
Shrewsbury Chronicle
The Shrewsbury Chronicle is the local newspaper for Shrewsbury and the surrounding area, including Church Stretton, in Shropshire, England....
.
In 1969 he became a freelance writer and one of his first commissions was an article on the musician and actor Tommy Steele
Tommy Steele
Tommy Steele OBE , is an English entertainer. Steele is widely regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star.-Singer:...
for The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
magazine. His work was eclectic and in the 1970s he contributed to a series of travel guidebooks which built upon his wide-ranging knowledge of the UK and made good use of his love of Wales.
But in time his work focussed increasingly on his passion for cars and motoring. From the late 1960s until his death he worked for a large number of publications in the UK and abroad, including The Observer, Car Magazine
Car Magazine
Car Magazine is a British automotive enthusiast magazine published monthly by Bauer Automotive. International editions are published by Bauer Automotive in Brazil, China, Greece, India, Mexico, the Middle East, Poland , Romania, Russia, South Africa , Spain, Thailand and Turkey...
, the Daily Telegraph, Truck magazine, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, Car & Driver, and Automobile Magazine
Automobile Magazine
Automobile magazine is an automobile magazine in the United States and is owned by Source Interlink. It was founded by a group of former employees of Car and Driver magazine, led by that publications’s former editor, David E. Davis, and originally published by News Corporation...
.
Although, superficially, most of his writing was about cars it often also touched on aspects of military history, travel and engineering (he was an admirer of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
and Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
). His writing was also noted for its humour.
A collection of his writing, The Road to Muckle Flugga, was published in 2004. In his foreword, Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
, the journalist and presenter of BBC Television's Top Gear, wrote "Phil realized that cars were dull. It was what you did with them that mattered."
He was a long-standing member of the Guild of Motoring Writers which has set up an annual Student of the Year award in his memory. Phil was also a member of the Midland Group of Motoring Writers, which has established an annual award in his memory. It asks young writers, aged between 10 and 16, to imagine a journey and the car they would make it in. The prize is £1,000 worth of travel vouchers, a visit to the Aston Martin factory at Gaydon (and passenger ride in one of the cars) and a week's loan of a new Audi to the winner's parents.
He died of a heart attack in 2005 whilst on holiday in Croatia. In a reader's obituary published in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Frank Page, the journalist, described Phil Llewellin as "one of the best motoring writers, if not the best, of the past four decades."